Various heaters have been developed for heating pipes, tubes, conduits and the like. Pipe heaters may be used to heat a water pipe in a house or building to prevent freezing of water in the pipe when the temperature drops below freezing. Also, such heaters may be utilized to heat various conduits or other lines in aircraft or the like that are exposed to low temperatures at high altitudes. Furthermore, such heaters may be utilized to heat pipes, conduits, or the like that are utilized in chemical processing and refining operations and the like.
A known type of heater for such applications comprises an elongated flat tape-like heating element that is wrapped around the pipe, rod or other such structure that is to be heated. Such heaters may be prone to unwinding from the pipe, and may not maintain solid contact between the heater and the pipe along the length of the heater, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the heater.